Not long ago, the Dynamo's critics accused them of testing the limits of fair play.

The Dynamo used to compete with a mean streak, an edge the franchise's all-time leading scorer, forward Brian Ching, finds lacking this season.

There was a time MLS foes left Houston complaining about more than just the humidity. Players such as Brian Mullan clawed and scratched to victory, making opponents realize they fought for a 50-50 ball at their peril. Craig Waibel might not have been the slickest of players, but he was a winner on par with the Wade Barretts of the world.

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The Dynamo are on a season-high, seven-game winless streak, and coach Dominic Kinnear is angry, as he constantly reminded the players at practice while prodding them to communicate and fight. The temperature was turned up in practice Thursday, and it had nothing to do with the summer weather.

Kinnear diplomatic

As a policy, Kinnear does not compare teams, so he wouldn't compare the 2011 team with the MLS Cup champs of 2006 and 2007.

"I think everything is different," he said. "I think you have to look at those players and realize why they were successful and why they were successful in this league for as long as they were. I think you can always learn from that. But I think to compare is always an unfair thing to do."

So what made the Dynamo special in 2006 and 2007?

"Why were we successful?" Kinnear said. "Well, first of all, we were talented. Second of all, hunger to win in that group was as high as I've seen in a group as I've been around. I think they all wanted to play well individually, but I think motivation to win as a team was the best characteristic that they had, on top of being a very talented team."

Skid starts to grate

Undefeated in April, the Dynamo followed their season-high, six-game unbeaten streak with a seven-game winless streak that lasted through May and extended into their first June game.

One of the youngest teams in MLS this year after being the oldest in the league last year, the Dynamo have struggled in a season in which Ching has been limited to four games and 91 minutes because of multiple injuries

Some might argue the team has missed Ching's grit, leadership and fighting spirit as much as his talent.

Earlier this week, Ching said he regretted being unable to instill attitude in his young teammates in practice. He was back at full training Thursday, correcting and cajoling young teammates while matching Kinnear's saucy vocabulary.

He's pleased with the team's skill level and would argue the Dynamo have outplayed opponents in most of the games they have lost or tied during their skid.

"You look back before last year, and you look at where we've finished as far as goals against," Ching said. "We were at least in the top three for the last eight to 10 years as a group. I just think we were harder to play against then.

"We didn't necessarily have more skill. I think this team has all the skill in the world, but we were a meaner team. And we lost a lot of those guys. And I think the job of a veteran on the team is to instill that kind of meanness and toughness. Let's face it: The past two years, I haven't been around as much as I'd like to in training."

Cameron agrees

"The little bite to us — I think that's what we're missing," midfielder Geoff Cameron said. "I think sometimes we try to play a little too pretty. But we've got to get meaner. We're a physical team, but we have to be physical in a way that we get that killer instinct."